This article establishes the authority of residents of Harrison
Township to keep backyard hens, and subject to the rules and regulations
detailed herein.
Participants shall comply with the following regulations and
conditions for the keeping and housing of hens:
A. All coops and runs shall be located in the rear yard, and shall be
set back a minimum of 15 feet from any property line.
B. The coop and run, located in the rear yard shall be located no closer
than 30 feet from the windows and/or doors of the habitable portion
of any neighboring residential dwelling. Garages, attached or otherwise,
and accessory buildings shall not be considered a "residential dwelling"
for the purposes of calculating the required distance. Hens may temporarily
"free range" outside of the coop in a suitably contained area enclosed
by a six-foot-high fence, provided that there is someone present to
supervise the free ranging chickens at all times. A predator-proof
run contained by a six-foot-high fence must be attached to the coop
and must also be 30 feet from the habitable portion of any neighboring
residential dwelling.
C. The coop shall be suitable in size to house the permitted number
of hens, and shall consist of a minimum of three square feet per chicken.
The coop shall not exceed 128 square feet in size and eight feet in
height.
D. The coop shall be dry and well ventilated with windows to admit sunlight.
E. The coop must be kept clean.
F. The coop shall be aesthetically-pleasing and shall adhere to Harrison Township's Property Maintenance Code (Chapter
159).
G. The coop and enclosed run must be made predator-proof, and must be
surrounded by a six-foot-high fence.
H. Clean water must be provided daily, and food must be kept tightly
closed in a metal container away from the coop and run at night.
I. The yard in the area where the coop is located shall be clean and
free from odors.
J. Waste will be handled by the participant to prevent offensive odors
and/or disease, and shall be disposed of in an environmentally-friendly
manner. Storage of manure, excreta, other waste odor, or dust-producing
substances associated therewith shall be located at least 15 feet
from any lot line or at least 30 feet from any residential structure
on an adjoining property, and shall be properly composted per health
code and USDA guidelines or kept in a watertight container until it
can be disposed of in a proper fashion off-site.
K. There shall be no selling of eggs.
L. Diseased hens must be removed immediately.
Failure to comply with the conditions and regulations set forth
in this article shall result in revocation of the license.
In the event that a permittee wishes to no longer retain or
keep backyard hens, the permittee shall make arrangements for the
relocation of the hens, and removal of all related structures and
improvements.
Any person or party violating any provision of this article
shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $2,000. Each day that a violation
continues shall be considered a separate offense.